A humorous NES strategy game on the American Civil War. Strategy maps and interspersed action phases. Sharp humor, explosive two-player. An unjustly forgotten classic.
Your verdict
Category
Strategy4 players7+
Description
Strategy and action game featuring North and South armies battling in the American Civil War. Published by Kemco, released in Europe in 1990. Tactical battles on a map with troops and real-time gun combat phases. European version of Kemco's North & South on NES.
The European PAL NES edition of Infogrames' adaptation of the 'Les Tuniques Bleues' comic, with particularly strong French-speaking coherence on the PAL market. The PAL cart is valued for its European identity distinct from the US and Japanese versions, and intact boxed CIB with multilingual manual climbs steadily, sustained by print scarcity and by French-speaking attachment to the Lambil/Cauvin licence.
Better with friends
A blend of strategy and action set against the Civil War, where two sides grab territory before settling it in chaotic assaults. The competition swings between planning on the map and hands-on skill during the pitched battles. Madcap and full of humor, it flips the game on a stroke of luck or a heroic charge, sparking shouts and laughter at every clash.
Is North & South still worth playing in 2026?
North & South is a humorous strategy game about the American Civil War on NES. Strategic maps with regiment movements and side-scrolling action phases alternate for short, surprisingly deep matches. Infogrames's sharp humour translates surprisingly well to pixels, and the two-player mode is explosive. An unjustly forgotten console classic, especially satisfying for those who enjoy mixing reflection and arcade. Still a genuinely excellent detour today.
